Location
Sheridan Lutheran Church
6955 Old Cheney Road
Lincoln, NE, 68516
Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/09/2016
8:30 am - 2:30 pm
Category(ies)
Holistic Response to Climate Change
Religious traditions often speak of the rhythms of agricultural life along with the rhythms of faithful life. Sacred teachings carry a long history of understanding the food that comes from the earth as a gift from a benevolent creator. As we enter into an era of a changing climate, we face important questions: how will our crops perform in an altered climate? How can we produce food in ways that protect the health of the earth? What is the role of faith communities as our climate shifts? Join us to learn how our religious traditions can help to point us in the right direction.
This conference will bring together people of faith from diverse backgrounds in Nebraska to consider the connections between faith and farming in the face of our changing climate. Our keynote speaker is Doug Dittman, farmer at Branched Oak Farms, owner the new Hub Café in Lincoln and Soto Zen practitioner. He will speak about how his religious perspectives have informed his care for the land, and vice versa. Attendees from all faith backgrounds are welcome, as our goal is to encourage mutual learning, support and understanding.
A catered, zero-waste lunch from The Hub Café will be included, giving attendees the chance to interact with one another and to build new relationships for future collaboration. The day will conclude with a closing plenary session to articulate the day’s themes and to highlight ongoing efforts in which people will be invited to participate.
Breakout sessions include:
- Sustainable Agriculture – William Powers, Director of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society
- Religious Foundations for Healthy Stewardship of the Land – Rev. Bonnie McCord, United Methodist Pastor, Wauneta/Palisade
- Renewable Energy Solutions for Nebraska Farms – John Hansen, Nebraska Farmer’s Union
- Congregational Resources on Climate Change and Faith – Rev. Kim Morrow, Nebraska Interfaith Power & Light
- Climate Change Impacts to Nebraska – Bryce Anderson, Senior Ag Meteorologist, The Progressive Farmer
- Carbon Sequestration through Cover Cropping – Humberto Blanco, Associate Professor of Soil Science, UNL
- Supporting a Local Foodshed – Tim Rinne, Nebraskans for Peace
- The Bee Pollinator Crisis – Douglas Golick, Assistant Professor of Entomology, UNL
Co-sponsors include:
- the United Methodist Peace with Justice group
- the Nebraska Conference of the United Church of Christ
- Nebraska Sierra Club
- Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society
- Nebraska Farmer’s Union
- Center for Rural Affairs
- Nebraskans for Peace
- Nebraska League of Conservation Voters
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Kim Morrow at kim@nebraskaipl.org.
Nebraska Interfaith Power & Light is a non-partisan, non-sectarian organization that seeks to facilitate the faith community’s response to climate change through education, programs and advocacy. We are part of the national Interfaith Power & Light network.
Have questions about Farming & Faith: Holistic Responses to Climate Change? Contact Nebraska Interfaith Power & Light
